


Albus Potter and the Seven Year Crush

by latchkeychild



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, au where none of THAT nonsense ever happened lmfao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 09:33:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7679281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/latchkeychild/pseuds/latchkeychild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following Albus through his seven years at Hogwarts. Mainly about a friendship turning into a crush turning into something more, but will also be about family dynamics and understandings. No time travel/ no child of Voldemort/ no OOC trio :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Albus Potter and the Seven Year Crush

**Author's Note:**

> i guess this is a rewrite??? idk  
> some scenes will have similar/the same dialogue as the play but most will be original :)  
> HPATCC without ... well, i guess the plot's gone and replaced with a new one and the characters are ... in character ... so, it's really just Albus's time at Hogwarts while trying to hide a super big crush on his best friend, ya know

First Year

 

Albus grabbed on tight to the rail as he stepped onto the train, head dizzy and hands shaking. The air was filled with smoke and for a moment he found it hard to breath. As he adjusted, his eyes met a cart full of sweets and rested there, his mouth beginning to water. Rose was going on about something in front of him and looked over at him expectantly.

“What?”

“Al, concentrate. We need to focus on who we’re gonna sit with. My parents met your dad on their first Hogwarts Express, you know.”

Albus groaned and pushed forward, “You think we can make best friends for life on a single train ride? That’s rather … intimidating.”

“Tried and true,” Rose smiled, “It’s exciting, though. With who our parents are and all, everyone will already want to be friends with us!”

“Right.” Albus huffed and opened the nearest compartment. Inside, he found a blond boy his age sitting alone near the window. He must have been looking out of it before Albus had barged in. His lap was covered in ripped up candy wrappers and he was working on destroying another. “Uh … sorry. Is this …?”

“It’s free. It’s just me.” The boy replied, hastily gathering up the mess and stuffing it into his bag.

“Right. So we might just … come in for a bit … if that’s okay?” He really had no idea what he was doing. He looked over to Rose for assistance, but met a glare instead.

“That’s okay. Hi.” The boy said. Albus took a step into the compartment, hand scratching at the back of his neck.

“Albus … Al. My name is Albus.”

“Hi Scorpius. I mean, I’m Scorpius. You’re Albus. And you must be …” He looked over at Rose.

“Rose.” She said through gritted teeth.

“Hi Rose. Would you like any of my Fizzing Whizbees?” Scorpius smiled, reaching into his bag and grabbing a handful.

“I’ve just had breakfast, thanks.”

Scorpius looked a bit disappointed at that, “I’ve also got some Shock-o-Choc, Pepper Imps, and some Jelly Slugs. Mum’s idea … she says,” He cleared his throat and sang, ”‘Sweets, they always help you make friends.’” It was a soft and happy tune. He saw Rose’s stern face and  grew pinker. “Stupid idea, probably.”

“I’ll have some … Mum doesn’t let me have sweets. Which one would you start with?” Albus interrupted. He could feel Rose hitting him as he regarded the bag of sweets. She was right. It probably wasn’t the best idea, he knew how hyper he could get with all that sugar, but his undeniable sweet tooth had won out.

“Easy. I’ve always regarded the Pepper Imp as the king of the confectionery bag. They’re peppermint sweets that make you smoke at the ears.”

“I’ll have that, then -” He started, but Rose hit him harder this time. “Ow! Rose, will you please stop hitting me?”

“I’m not hitting you.” Rose said defensively.

“What would you call punching me in the back, then?”

Scorpius’s face fell, “She’s hitting you because of me.”

Albus noticed the boy sinking back further into his seat, “What?”

“He’s a _Malfoy_ , Al. Scorpius _Malfoy_!” Rose said as she crossed her arms over her chest. “His father’s a Death Eater.”

“ _Was_ a Death Eater.” Scorpius said, wringing his hands together.

“Yes, well. We should probably sit somewhere else. Come on, Albus.”

Albus stood still in place, eyes fixed on Scorpius. The blond boy met his gaze and Albus found it hard to believe that any harm could come from someone like him. “No. I’m okay. You go on,” He said, addressing Rose.

“I won’t wait.”

“I’m staying here.” Albus said decisively. He could see Scorpius’s questioning look at the corner of his eye as Rose turned away.

“Fine.” She said, making her way down the hall.

“Thank you,” Scorpius whispered as Albus took a seat across from him.

“No. No. I didn’t stay for you. I stayed for your sweets.”

Scorpius laughed and popped two candies into his mouth. “Do you prefer Albus or Al?” He asked, raising one eyebrow as he grinned.

Albus could feel his face heating up. “Albus.”

“Thank you for staying for my sweets, Albus!” Scorpius said as smoke poured out from his ears.

“Wow!” Albus chuckled, clutching onto his belly as he laughed.

 

\---

 

A deafening silence filled the room as Albus sat, center stage, frozen in place. Then the whispers came, hushed at first, mainly originating from the Gryffindor and Slytherin tables. Professor McGonagall motioned for him to move and take a seat with the other Slytherins. _Other Slytherins_. He got up and managed not to trip as he neared the sitting students. He took a glance behind him at Rose and the Gryffindor table. She looked positively mortified.

“A Potter in Slytherin?” The phrase hit him in all directions. His stomach dropped. _James was right. James was always right_.

“You can sit next to me,” A soft voice spoke up from his left. He looked over to see the now familiar face of Scorpius Malfoy. Albus let out a nervous breath and complied.

“Thanks,” He said as he sat down. As soon as he was out of eyeshot from the Gryffindors, he tensed up and curled his hands into fists in his lap.

“Are you okay?” Scorpius whispered.

“Yeah. Of course.” He could feel his eyes watering as he tried to hold it together. What would his dad think when he found out? He remembered how proud he’d been when he had heard that James had been sorted into Gryffindor. How would he react to this?

“I think it’s quite enthralling,” Scorpius said, the candlelight dancing in his eyes. “To be something unexpected.”

Albus looked over at him then, some of his tension falling away as his new friend smiled at him.

 

\---

 

“Slytherin squib! Did you hear that?” Albus groaned and threw a pillow at his bed.

Scorpius looked up from the homework he was attempting to focus on. ”I heard _Karl Jenkins_ say that. Not your bed.”

Albus laughed despite himself “Scorpius,” He said more sternly.

“What?”

“We should _do_ something about it. They have no right to … to say those things.” Albus could feel the anger resurfacing. He was tempted to throw another pillow.

“Look, in my experience, people will say what they say and there’s no way to change their minds. You either let it get to you or you move on.” Scorpius said, putting his homework away and bringing his knees up to his chest.

But Albus wasn’t listening. He ducked under his bed and grabbed a hold of something. “Scorpius … Your broom came to _you_ , right?”

“... Yes?”

Albus stood up and raised an elegant black Quidditch broom triumphantly over his head. “You can teach me, then!”

Scorpius’s mouth fell open. “Okay … Two points.”

“As always,” Albus smirked.

“First, isn’t that the broom your dad sent you? The one you said was ‘him overcompensating for having a Slytherin son’? That one?”

“Yes.” Albus’s smile was determined.

“Right. Second, I thought you didn’t care much for Quidditch?”

“Well, it is rather boring, yes. But I _do_ love proving a point.” He walked over to Scorpius’s bed and sat down right beside him. “What do you say? Will you help me off the ground?”

Scorpius seemed to resist at first, but sighed and gave in. “If you really want to do this -”

“I really want to.”

“I’ll help you.”

 

\---

 

The afternoon sun hit their eyes as they stepped out onto one of the open fields behind Hogwarts. First years weren’t allowed on the Quidditch Pitch unless accompanied by Madam Hooch, but the rules had opened up a bit in regards to them owning their own brooms, and this was where they were told to practice. Albus set his broom on the ground and motioned Scorpius over.

“Alright, Scorps, what do I do?”

“Scorps?” Scorpius laughed, his face turning pink.

“It’s a nickname! What? You don’t like it?”

“I … Don’t know. I’ve never thought about having a nickname.” Scorpius started to laugh again. “It’s weird …”

“Well, you can call me Al if it makes us even. I only mind it from certain people.” Albus smiled. He kicked at the broom to get back to the matter at hand. “So, how do I get this thing flying?”

“Oh … well. It’s like Madam Hooch said. Just shout ‘up’.” Scorpius said, shifting from one foot to the other.

Albus glanced over at him questionably. “That’s it?”

Scorpius nodded, and Albus noticed that his hair was nearly white in the bright sun.

He turned his attention back to the broom, stomach full of giddy energy. “Up!”

To his surprise, the broom came flying to his open hand.

Both boys jumped in celebration and shock, Albus letting out a high-pitched gasp, “I did it! I … didn’t think it would be so easy …”

“Maybe I should replace Madam Hooch!” Scorpius grinned. “Go on, fly it! But … not too far off the ground. Maybe, like, three feet …”

“Scaredy cat,” Albus teased as he climbed on. He kicked off the ground and was suddenly over the first floor windows. His heartbeat quickened and he tightened his grip. “I’m flying!” He looked down at Scorpius and saw how far he had flown. Panic hit him when he realized he had no idea how to get down.

“Scorpius!” He yelled, “Hey, how do I land?”

Scorpius looked up at him with wide eyes and covered his mouth with both hands.

Albus took in a deep breath and looked around, improvising. He wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t nose-dive right into the field if he pointed the broom downward. An anxious chuckle escaped his mouth when a skinny tree thirty feet away met his eye.

“Okay … Okay,” He carefully pointed the broom at it, and it followed his every move. He leaned forward and the broom carried him towards it. He could hear Scorpius shouting behind him, but there was no other way. He crashed into the tree.

He kept one hand gripped tight to the broom as he held onto the nearest branch with the other. He climbed down, careful not to fall. This was the easy part. He, James, and Lily had a favorite climbing tree back home, and though he wasn’t as skilled as Lily, he was a better climber than James. He jumped back down to land.

Scorpius was running towards him, hair muffled. Albus let a smug smile cross his face. He had flown!

“Albus!” Scorpius said when he had caught up to him. “ _What was that_?”

“I flew!”

“Into a _tree_! You’re covered in leaves!” Scorpius ruffled the things out of Albus’s hair, “Is your broom alright?”

“Everything’s fine,” Albus replied. “You know, when mum took me and James and Lily to all those Quidditch games, I never really got the point. It was just a whole bunch of people flying around and hurling balls at each other, you know?”

“Yeah,” Scorpius said, his job done.

“Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t get the point. But up in the air just then … I think I could begin to.”

Scorpius sat down under the tree and started to pick at the grass. “You worry me.”

Albus laughed and sat down next to him, “I should write to her. My mum. Tell her about this. She’s always wanted to see me on a broom. I kinda … cheated her, you know?”

Scorpius smiled, but there was a sadness to it, “You sound like a mumma’s boy.”  

“Well … Isn’t that obvious?” Albus said.

“I am, too.” Scorpius said, looking down to where his hands were busy tearing blades of grass into pieces.

“Hey, are you okay?” Albus asked. He looked the saddest he had ever seen him.

“I’m fine,” Scorpius replied. “You should write to your mum. I’m gonna go finish my homework.”

And with that, Scorpius left, and Albus was alone under the tree with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.

 

\---

 

Scorpius wasn’t doing his Charms homework when Albus came back to the Dorms. Instead, he was sitting on the floor, leaning over a scrawled parchment. Albus took a cautious step into the room, careful not to startle him.

“Sorry about earlier,” Scorpius said when he saw Albus come in.

“Do you … Want to talk about it?”

Scorpius nodded. He looked much better, but still not like his normal self. Albus sat down facing him.

“My mother’s sick,” He started, “I don’t … usually tell people this …” He looked anxiously to Albus, who nodded in reassurance, “She’s been sick all my life, and …” His voice began to waver.

“Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to talk about it.”

“No! I want to. Because she’s gotten worse and … it’s just me and dad … I want someone to know!” The tears were streaming freely now and he gave Albus the parchment in his hand. “Dad sent this to me this morning. She’s gotten worse, Al.”

Albus took the parchment and placed it on the floor beside them. Instead of reading it, he pulled Scorpius into a hug. He could feel the other boy’s tears wetten his shirt, could hear every shaky breath he let out. “Now I’m here. And now I know.”

“Thank you, Albus.” Scorpius breathed as he returned the hug, “I thought I was holding it together today, being brave, but … you know.”

“You faced the world today. That was brave.” Albus said as the two broke apart.

Scorpius’s smile was weak, but genuine, “I’ve never really had a friend before, but I imagine you’re a good one.”

“And I’ve never had a friend as good as you,” Albus admitted.

 

\---

 

Scorpius looked up from his _History of Magic_ textbook and frowned at Albus from across the table, “You really should be studying for the O.W.L.s, you know.”

“What’s the point?” Albus sighed, “I’m rubbish at everything no matter how hard I try. I don’t like anyone here, anyway. Everyone will be glad that I’ve flunked out.”

Scorpius raised an eyebrow. It took Albus a moment to get the point.

“Oh come on, you know I don’t mean _you_. It’s everyone else.”

“Yes, well. I really would prefer it if you were here with me next year. Besides, studying is fun!” Scorpius slid him the textbook, “The Goblin Uprising of 1752 is rather fascinating.”

“Fine. Dork,” Albus chuckled and grabbed the book. “Is your ‘goblin uprising’ gonna be on the test?”

“I hope so!”

Albus shot him a look.

“I mean, probably. Professor Binns said that we should focus on chapters fourteen through twenty. And, I mean, it’s one of the most important parts of our history! I’d say the majority of the test will be about the Goblin rebellions.”

“You actually listen in that class?” Albus said while reaching for another chocolate from the bowl of treats on the table. “Professor Binns is so boring.”

Scorpius laughed, “He does drone on and on, but the subject’s interesting.” He seemed to notice something from the corner of his eye, then perked up. “Oh, Rose is coming.”

Albus glanced over to where Scorpius was looking. Sure enough, Rose Granger-Weasley was heading straight for their table from the other side of the library. Albus sunk into his seat when she reached them.

“Oh, honestly. Is all you two ever do just eat sweets?” She huffed as she arrived.

“Do you want one? Is that why you’re here?” Albus grumbled.

“Please, I practically grew up in a candy shop. I’ve outgrown the taste.”

“Just how old do you think think you are, anyway?” Albus asked, frowning up at her.

“The same age as you. Just a different maturity level.” Rose said, crossing her arms and smiling smugly.

“Hi Rose,” Scorpius spoke up from the other side of the table. She acknowledged him for a moment before turning back to Albus.

“Right, well. I was just checking up to see if you were preparing for your exams.”

“What do you care?”

“I-I don’t, it’s just … No one from our family should fail. That’s all.” Rose said, dropping her smug tone to a more serious one.

“Thanks for that opinion, Rose. Really needed it.”

“You’re studying, then?” Rose asked, examining their table.

“What do you think this book is for?” Albus groaned.

Rose sighed, a slight look of disappointment crossing her face, “I’ll be going, then, I guess. See you, Al.”

“It’s Albus,” He mumbled as she turned to leave. When she was gone, he straightened up and put his focus on the textbook in front of him.

“You were … kinda mean to Rose just then, Albus,” Scorpius whispered, almost afraid to say it out loud.

Albus laughed sarcastically at his friend, “What, do _you_ like her?”

“Well, I don’t _not_ like her …” Scorpius shrugged.

“What?” Albus wasn’t just mad at Rose now, he was mad at Scorpius, too. It was a foreign feeling. He glared at him, confused and upset.

“I mean … She’s confident and smart, and I can tell she cares about you. She’s just afraid to show it.”

“Yeah, right.” Albus said. “Look, she just cares about her image. And since I’m related to her, I’m wrapped up in that.”

Scorpius just shook his head and looked away.

“What’s there to like, anyway? She thinks your father’s a Death Eater.” Albus added.

“Yeah, well … I’m used to that …” Scorpius said, still facing the side.

Albus’s anger dissipated at that. “You shouldn’t be,” He said gently.

Scorpius looked up and regarded Albus, “I’m just saying, if there’s anyone who’s gonna change their mind about us, it’s her.”

 

\---

 

Albus stepped off the train, Scorpius following after. The two friends looked at each other, a sense of melancholy surrounding them. Neither was ready to leave the other’s side; not quite yet, not quite ever.

“I’ll write to you,” Albus said. It was a rare promise. It was one he would keep.

“I will, too,” Scorpius replied. “Maybe we could visit each other sometime …”

“Maybe.” A pang of sadness shot through Albus. He was already missing him. He could hear James’s voice in the background calling him over. He looked down at his feet, “See you next year, then.”

Scorpius nodded and Albus took a step toward where his family was waiting for him.

“Oh, and Albus …?” Scorpius added, prompting the other boy to turn back around. Once he was facing him again, Scorpius pulled Albus into a hug, “Thank you.”

Albus didn’t need to ask. He understood. “You too,” He said as he held onto him.

“I’ll write,” Scorpius said as the hug ended.

“I will, too,” Albus replied before he joined his family.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kinda iffy on this chapter, but it's just layin' out the foundation so all's good :))  
> I'm super excited about where this is gonna go, especially years 4-7 so stick with it :D


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